The Xylem 2012 Value of Water Index reveals growing consumer concern about our nation’s water infrastructure and that the majority of Americans are willing to pay for improvements.

The ability to access clean, safe water is not just a concern for developing countries; it is also of concern to consumers right here in the United States. The Xylem 2012 Value of Water Index reveals that there is growing concern about our nation’s water infrastructure; so much concern that more than half of those surveyed stated that they would be willing to pay for infrastructure improvements.

In Xylem’s 2012 survey, 61 percent of respondents said they would pay an average of $7.70 more per month to upgrade the nation’s water infrastructure. In 2010, the average monthly increase survey respondents were willing to accept was only $6.20.

Other highlights from the report include:

59 percent of those surveyed would pay more for water now to avoid an excessive price increase in the future

70 percent are willing to pay more to ensure that every American has access to clean water

75 percent are willing to pay more for water infrastructure that conserves energy

Americans aren’t just willing to pay more for infrastructure upgrades than they were in the 2010 survey, their concerns are also growing. In 2010, 22 percent of respondents stated that they were “very concerned” about the state of the nation’s water infrastructure. In 2012, this figure jumped to 31 percent.

When asked about reforming our water infrastructure, 80 percent of participants in 2010 said that reform was needed. In 2012, this figure rose to 88 percent.